RA Sessions

Are you interested in being an RA in one of the residential communities?  Come to any one of the information sessions to learn more about being an RA.  You will need to attend a session in order to be able to apply.  For an on-line list of sessions, please refer to: http://www.campuslife.cornell.edu/ra.  If you have additional questions, please contact Suzanne Horning (sah48).  Applications will be due on Thursday, November 19th at 459PM.
Thursday    10/15      Tatkon Center                              4-5:30PM            
Monday      10/19       Dickson 5-side Lounge                 7-8:30PM
Sunday       10/25      Ujamaa Main Lounge                     4-6PM
Tuesday      10/27    Townhouse Community Center       7-9PM
Monday      11/2        Bethe House Dining Room              8-10PM
Thursday    11/5        Cascadilla Lounge                          6:30-8PM
Monday      11/9        Latino Living Center Main Lounge  9-10:30PM
Wednesday 11/11      RPCC Multipurpose Room              8:45-10:15PM

Install Windows 7 with a USB flash drive

This guide assumes that there is no access to a DVD drive. It also assumes an MSDN subscription. If you do not have a subscription, but can get the win 7 iso, the process is the same. If you have the Win 7 DVD, skip the iso steps and copy the pertinent files from the DVD.

Requirements:
*USB Flash Drive (Minimum 3GB)

Prep:

-Download the Windows 7 Ultimate .iso file from MSDN  HERE

-Download Virtual Clone Drive HERE (to open the iso without burning)

Mount Windows 7 iso

To save the trouble of burning the iso, you can simply mount it on a virtual drive.

1. Install Virtual Clone Drive – This is my favorite utility for mounting iso files, but extracting the iso with WinRar should work as well

2. Right click on the downloaded iso file and select “Mount (Virtual Clone Drive)”

3. Now your iso image is virtually mounted as though it was a DVD in your computer

Formatting USB

1. Plug-in your USB flash drive to USB port and move all the contents from USB drive to a safe location on your system.

2. Open Command Prompt with admin rights. Use any of the below methods to open Command Prompt with admin rights.
*Type cmd in Start menu search box and hit Ctrl+ Shift+ Enter.
Or
*Go to Start menu > All programs > Accessories, right click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

3. You need to know about the USB drive a little bit. Type in the following commands in the command prompt:
First type DISKPART and hit enter to see the below message.

Next type LIST DISK command and note down the Disk number (ex: Disk 1) of your USB flash drive. In the below screenshot my Flash Drive Disk no is Disk 1.

4. Next type all the below commands one by one. Here I assume that your disk drive no. is “Disk 1”.If you have Disk 2 as your USB flash drive then use Disk 2. Refer the above step to confirm it.
Below are the commands you need to type and execute one by one, hitting enter after each.
SELECT DISK 1
CLEAN
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
SELECT PARTITION 1
ACTIVE
FORMAT FS=NTFS
(Format process may take few seconds)
ASSIGN
EXIT
Don’t close the command prompt as we need to execute one more command at the next step. Just minimize it.

Bootable USB Drive

1. Check the drive letter of the mounted iso file. In this guide I will assume that your mount drive letter is “G” and USB drive letter is “H” (open my computer to see the correct lettering).

2. Maximize the minimized Command Prompt in the 4th step. Type the following command, hitting enter after each.
G:
(making sure you are in the root directory, which should read g:\>, type the following:)
CD BOOT
BOOTSECT.EXE /NT60 H:
Where “H” is your USB drive letter. Once you enter the above command you will see the below message.

3. Copy your Windows 7 DVD contents to the USB flash drive.

Your USB drive is ready to boot and install Windows 7. Install as normal, put in your cd key, and install all drivers as necessary after it boots into windows.
The only thing you need to change the boot order at the BIOS to USB from the HDD, just run the boot selection menu at startup.

You are done!

External Links

This guide is a modified version of:

 http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=76690

A guide from Microsoft Technet, with Video:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd535816.aspx

Review of Smart DJ Mix in Zune Software

Take a look at my review on the new Zune Smart DJ Mix feature.

Crutches and Soap

I am sitting in Olin Library, catching up on emails and avoiding riding my bike back to North Campus. It sounds pretty nasty outside, so I guess I will stay here for a little bit. I am all done with classes, so I am in no hurry.

As I walked in to Olin, I got a chance to talk to Ed from CU Lift. He was my driver last year when I had only crutches to get around. The CU Lift program is a part of Student Disabilities Services on Campus that offers scheduled rides to anywhere on campus (and even off campus now and then if you know the drivers). It was real neat to see him because he became my main source of information about the campus. He would pick me up at 8:50am at Appel to go to my first class and I would end up asking him a question that he couldn't answer. By the next class time, he would pick me up with the unmistakable Red Runner van and the answer to my question. The process would repeat almost the whole day, until I didn't know what to ask. What an excellent department, that CU Lift is. I hope it doesn't get compromised in the upcoming restructuring, but I think its a safe bet that it will not be touched.

On another note, today is "Got Soap?" day. I am currently wearing a T-Shirt sponsored by Gannet, EH&S, and some other people, but I am having trouble reading the back at the morning and don't want weird looks. I also noticed a lot of sanitizing stations in the academic buildings today. I'm sure hope people start using those things. More importantly, they should use the soap handed out on Ho Plaza today, hand sanitizer only does so much...

Well that's about it for now, time to start the small trek back to North Campus and watch some Microsoft Training videos!

Weekly Update - Movie Night, T-Shirts, Vouchers, Calendar

Hey there Dickson Floor 2,

We just have a few announcements:

Movie Night with Root Beer Floats!
This Friday, September 11, we will be hosting our first floor 2 official movie night in the 2-5 lounge from 8pm to 10pm.. We will be using a projector to get the largest possible screen real estate. We will also provide popcorn. So make sure you come this friday and enjoy a film with the rest of the floor.
If you have any DVD's that you want to share, reply to this email and let me know. The current option is "I Love You Man."

Official Floor 2 Shirts
As we mentioned before, you should see Matt or Dan about a shirt. Traditionally, everyone on the floor gets a shirt to show off the floor pride, and we would like you to do the same this year.

The shirts for our floor will be orange and say "Dickson 2009-2010" baseball script style on the front, with "Bigger is Better" on the back. If you are ordering a shirt, we need your name, shirt size, room number, quantity ordered and $7/shirt in an envelope by 12 pm Noon on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th. (this is a firm deadline) If you cannot find Matt or Dan, slip the envelope under one of our doors. Late orders cannot be accepted.

Lockout Vouchers-Last Call

Lockout vouchers must be picked up from Dan by 12 pm Noon on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th. This is your last chance, if you don't pick it up, you will not get one!

Remember, if you get locked out, you must go to Appel during normal hours (7pm-7am) because there is no RA on call. After hours, call the RA on call at 607-327-1015. Now that you have your vouchers, you can use them once, but after that, lockouts will cost $5.


Dinner Calendar
The 'Draw Yourself' board has been replaced with a calendar of September. The intent is that you can write what time you are going to dinner so that we can go as a floor more often. If there is a time already there, join them. Just write down the time and location and then gather before leaving. Matt and Dan will try to go to the dinners posted on that board. Feel Free to use it!


Potluck Dinner
On September 25, we will have a floor dinner in 2-5 lounge, potluck style. It will start at 6pm. Matt and Dan are still working out the details, but save the date!

Well that's all, folks! Also, never hesitate to ask us questions! Find us in our rooms or by email.

Thanks!
RA Dan (djs362) and RA Matt (mks323)

New Tech Blog Created

Hey guys,

I have created a new blog, separate from What The Dickns? to act as my technology blog. Below is a table outlining the differences. The new blog, Cornell MSP will be for all technical things, and will be for much more public types of posts. Anyone reading the new one shouldn't really care what my Residence Hall is up to this weekend, just the new specs on Windows 7, for example.

	What The Dickns?	Cornell Microsoft Student Partner
What?	General Ramblings and Cornell Stuff	Tech and MSP Business
Content	Events at Cornell	Product Testing/Reviews
	Free Food/Stuff at Campus	Microsoft Announcements
	Dickson Hall Programs	Technology Announcements
	Freshman Guide	MSP Events and Activities
	General Ramblings
Link	http://whatthedickns.blogspot.com	http://cornellmsp.blogspot.com

I am officially a Microsoft Student Partner!

Well, I should really be doing my Economics homework, but I am too excited for that sort of stuff. All of my paperwork is cleared with Microsoft and now the fun can begin! So what is a Student Partner, you ask? Well, my friend, it is basically the student representative on campus for Microsoft. I will have the duty to promote Microsoft products and coordinate events on campus that support the company's products.

So What does this really mean?
From Wikipedia:
~~~~
The MSP program is an educational and promotional program to sponsor undergraduate and postgraduate students majoring in disciplines related to technology, typically computer science, computer information systems, and information technology. MSP program aims to enhance students' employability and increase students' awareness of Microsoft technologies. Student Partners are offered training especially in product-specific skills not typically taught in academia.

Microsoft offers compensation to the members of the Student Partners program through hourly wages and various software and hardware packages which are distributed to them for testing and promotional purposes. Student Partners are also given access to MSDN Premium Subscriptions to support their promotional activities. At times, Student Partners are invited to technology-related conferences.

~~~

But what does it really, really mean?
I can no longer participate in Microsoft sweepstakes, but I get a ton of SWAG anyway.

It seems funny, cause I signed up not to long ago to be a Campus Rep for Mozzilla Firefox, the famous Open Source Browser...
Even better, I went to the Students for Free Culture Club today, but I think that membership would be a conflict of interests...Its ok, I don't think I agree with everything they say anyway.

I will give more specifics later, but if you see me in Microsoft SWAG, this is why.
Look forward to chalkings of Bill Gates!